1 00:00:00,64 --> 00:00:06,57 The MC. 2 00:00:09,03 --> 00:00:12,91 The solo player to 3 00:00:12,92 --> 00:00:32,97 a 4 00:00:33,66 --> 00:00:36,60 good evening and welcome to hello it's us 5 00:00:36,95 --> 00:00:42,60 a program based on the premise that life in general goes better if it's all of us 6 00:00:42,61 --> 00:00:49,28 working together as opposed to you me and them working at cross purposes Hello it's 7 00:00:49,29 --> 00:00:51,05 us is brought to you through 8 00:00:51,06 --> 00:00:57,03 a collaboration of the Center for said disability and development the extended 9 00:00:57,04 --> 00:01:01,44 Dream Foundation and all the folks here at public access television channel eight 10 00:01:01,45 --> 00:01:07,13 to I'm Terry Cunningham one of your co-hosts Keith ruff as always 11 00:01:08,34 --> 00:01:15,03 is here with us too and I would be this week we're going to be talking 12 00:01:15,04 --> 00:01:21,66 about Bill sector this. Week would have been his hundred first 13 00:01:21,67 --> 00:01:28,39 birthday and the celebration that we're having for 14 00:01:28,40 --> 00:01:30,96 him unfortunately due to 15 00:01:30,97 --> 00:01:36,68 a brain fart on my part the show was airing after the event occurred 16 00:01:37,79 --> 00:01:43,66 so he won't have been able to join us for cake the good new me 17 00:01:44,63 --> 00:01:50,21 he will need who will do this. 18 00:01:52,14 --> 00:01:57,88 It certainly has and. By 19 00:01:57,89 --> 00:02:04,77 a weird coincidence. Mickey Rooney who brought bill to life on the 20 00:02:04,78 --> 00:02:11,31 big screen and to the movies was passed on Sunday at the age of ninety three. 21 00:02:15,56 --> 00:02:18,04 And he was had quite 22 00:02:18,05 --> 00:02:23,91 a life himself he was one of the very early child stars. 23 00:02:24,99 --> 00:02:31,70 Made countless movies had almost countless lives made and 24 00:02:31,71 --> 00:02:38,26 lost countless fortunes and had experienced 25 00:02:39,27 --> 00:02:45,20 pretty much all the best and worst the ruling could offer. No no. 26 00:02:46,58 --> 00:02:51,65 I did yeah. He was he was in 27 00:02:51,66 --> 00:02:55,26 a lot. And thought 28 00:02:55,27 --> 00:03:01,17 a lot of Bill Yeah I mean he the two of them became pretty good friends 29 00:03:02,07 --> 00:03:08,65 and oh he his story is he had him on the set of the second movie and had 30 00:03:08,66 --> 00:03:15,25 a chair with Bill's name on the next to his chair so and it 31 00:03:15,26 --> 00:03:21,69 was very much due to him. 32 00:03:23,27 --> 00:03:30,14 That the whole story of Bill came forward and helped 33 00:03:30,15 --> 00:03:37,07 to begin to change the public attitude toward 34 00:03:37,18 --> 00:03:42,27 folks with disabilities. Was I liked and. 35 00:03:44,57 --> 00:03:50,26 They didn't know that. It was. 36 00:03:52,43 --> 00:03:59,30 On the. Down not not having known Bill. 37 00:04:00,55 --> 00:04:05,72 Or the story beforehand I agree and. 38 00:04:07,80 --> 00:04:13,69 It wasn't. Over acted more like so many movies. 39 00:04:14,83 --> 00:04:20,58 Which you're supposed to only didn't know the then town. 40 00:04:24,21 --> 00:04:31,13 So the the story of Bill begins and 41 00:04:31,49 --> 00:04:32,35 when 42 00:04:32,36 --> 00:04:39,20 a soda where he and his. Russian Jewish immigrant great 43 00:04:39,30 --> 00:04:46,15 family lived in St Paul I believe. And 44 00:04:46,19 --> 00:04:47,70 is parents owned 45 00:04:47,74 --> 00:04:54,01 a grocery store and they lived about and Bill's father died when he was four years 46 00:04:54,02 --> 00:05:00,79 old and Bill started school 47 00:05:02,02 --> 00:05:07,76 and was what we would now call slow yes'. 48 00:05:09,91 --> 00:05:15,67 And then you would know why then one day who. 49 00:05:18,30 --> 00:05:24,73 Saw the school system convinced his mother that he was 50 00:05:25,45 --> 00:05:32,29 an educated man and I believe they and the doctor convinced her 51 00:05:32,30 --> 00:05:35,02 that that he would be such 52 00:05:35,03 --> 00:05:41,78 a burden on her life and and she had at least one daughter 53 00:05:42,95 --> 00:05:49,14 and that it would be in the best interest to put Bill in institution 54 00:05:49,67 --> 00:05:56,20 and though the new in New York mean dragon then the one 55 00:05:56,60 --> 00:06:01,71 who I. Was doing doesn't. 56 00:06:03,21 --> 00:06:09,87 Really Come move with so Bill was was placed in an 57 00:06:09,88 --> 00:06:16,73 institution in terrible Minnesota. And it was one of the old big 58 00:06:16,74 --> 00:06:23,60 drafty state institutions where. Things like 59 00:06:24,44 --> 00:06:30,62 education and social interaction and teaching some of the basic 60 00:06:31,12 --> 00:06:36,23 social skills and basic survival skill no that didn't have them 61 00:06:37,78 --> 00:06:44,59 so Bill was in the institution for forty four years I think and 62 00:06:44,60 --> 00:06:51,38 then on this in the sixty's early sixty's when the big 63 00:06:51,42 --> 00:06:57,15 deal institutionalization. And Community Living 64 00:06:58,71 --> 00:07:04,13 started yes. He he booted out of an institution. 65 00:07:05,25 --> 00:07:11,14 And found a job the job was found for him at 66 00:07:11,33 --> 00:07:17,72 a fancy country club in Minneapolis St Paul and 67 00:07:17,98 --> 00:07:24,74 that was where he met moron who befriended him along with her husband 68 00:07:24,75 --> 00:07:30,04 Barry and. They started doing 69 00:07:30,05 --> 00:07:36,91 a lot of different things with Bill and Barry except 70 00:07:36,93 --> 00:07:42,36 the job at the University of Iowa in the school social work in this new 71 00:07:43,43 --> 00:07:50,31 Audioboo deal Department type. And Bill came with them 72 00:07:51,30 --> 00:07:58,25 to Iowa City. And I was city being much smaller than 73 00:07:58,81 --> 00:08:04,99 Minneapolis St Paul. There was a real problem in finding Bill 74 00:08:05,00 --> 00:08:11,82 a job so it turned out the School of Social Work 75 00:08:11,83 --> 00:08:17,31 kind of adopted bill and tried him on 76 00:08:18,52 --> 00:08:25,22 lots and lots of jobs. A fair number of them in which he failed 77 00:08:25,23 --> 00:08:31,43 spectacularly. Like ending up in the middle of a cornfield in 78 00:08:31,44 --> 00:08:38,02 a pickup that somebody was teaching him to drive them one where you nearly caught 79 00:08:38,03 --> 00:08:45,02 something on fire and. Then someone came up with the idea 80 00:08:45,03 --> 00:08:51,58 of let's ask him what he wants to do marvelous and he thought that 81 00:08:51,88 --> 00:08:56,76 maybe he'd like to sell coffee so they got him a little cart than 82 00:08:56,77 --> 00:09:02,04 a copy pot. And he. 83 00:09:03,87 --> 00:09:10,66 That was what the beginnings of oil bills coffee shop in north all was and one of 84 00:09:10,81 --> 00:09:16,80 the things was that. Little Bill could make change 85 00:09:18,82 --> 00:09:21,05 so when somebody would would come get 86 00:09:21,05 --> 00:09:26,40 a coffee. They were on the honor system I guess to 87 00:09:27,86 --> 00:09:34,09 put in whatever it cost or put in more and take the proper amount of change 88 00:09:35,82 --> 00:09:40,29 but ultimately that worked out and. Bill was. 89 00:09:44,68 --> 00:09:51,51 Getting along pretty good manage take the buses in and. Over the years I guess 90 00:09:51,55 --> 00:09:58,31 accumulated lots and lots of friends you know what the hell. 91 00:10:00,21 --> 00:10:07,13 You can. Do. Yeah as I as 92 00:10:07,14 --> 00:10:13,100 I understand it Bill didn't view anybody as 93 00:10:14,00 --> 00:10:15,96 a stranger just as 94 00:10:15,97 --> 00:10:21,91 a friend who had met he had met yet. So then 95 00:10:23,53 --> 00:10:30,50 Barry. Barry decided he wanted to. Now let me get this straight. 96 00:10:33,66 --> 00:10:35,95 Barry was approached to do 97 00:10:36,40 --> 00:10:43,32 a film about Bill and presented it 98 00:10:43,33 --> 00:10:43,53 to 99 00:10:43,54 --> 00:10:50,56 a group Band one way or another that group didn't fund it but somebody else did 100 00:10:50,65 --> 00:10:56,54 so the movie was made then. Yes and. 101 00:10:57,73 --> 00:11:04,31 Bill received the handicapped I wanted the word of the Year award and. 102 00:11:06,23 --> 00:11:12,67 Was invited all over the country and Canada and whatever 103 00:11:14,40 --> 00:11:21,35 to meet people because. This was thought to be an astounding 104 00:11:22,51 --> 00:11:27,32 accomplishment that an individual in his situation 105 00:11:29,32 --> 00:11:33,79 would be able to do that the things that he did we. 106 00:11:36,92 --> 00:11:42,67 Told. Him pretty much pretty much so 107 00:11:43,90 --> 00:11:50,12 Barry decided he wanted to move to California and and take 108 00:11:50,13 --> 00:11:56,81 a shot that screenplays and movies and whatever and 109 00:11:56,97 --> 00:12:02,90 they asked Bill if he wanted to go and he said no that he had lots of friends and 110 00:12:02,91 --> 00:12:04,30 such and I was a B. 111 00:12:05,05 --> 00:12:10,79 You know just didn't think this is one to go and from his days in the 112 00:12:11,61 --> 00:12:14,81 institution he apparently had 113 00:12:14,82 --> 00:12:21,68 a two dollar bill that was his lucky piece and he took it out 114 00:12:21,72 --> 00:12:28,18 and he gave it to Barry and said if you're going to California 115 00:12:28,81 --> 00:12:35,69 you need this more than I do. And last year at Bill's 116 00:12:35,70 --> 00:12:42,67 hundredth anniversary party Barry took that bill out. He 117 00:12:43,09 --> 00:12:49,63 pulled out of his wallet that two dollar bill that he had wrapped in another two 118 00:12:49,64 --> 00:12:56,32 dollar bill and he has carry that with him for for all the years so Barry 119 00:12:56,33 --> 00:13:03,11 moved out to California and. Had some success with the 120 00:13:03,86 --> 00:13:05,28 films did 121 00:13:05,29 --> 00:13:12,08 a little film called Rain Man. One or two people. So 122 00:13:12,09 --> 00:13:18,84 Bill stayed in in I was sitting. And 123 00:13:19,46 --> 00:13:26,34 got along well died in his sleep one night. But you know I had had managed to 124 00:13:26,35 --> 00:13:32,40 do so many things that were out of place that they will really 125 00:13:32,55 --> 00:13:38,39 need of. Lou. With. 126 00:13:39,86 --> 00:13:46,49 The video you can. Well and you know 127 00:13:46,50 --> 00:13:52,85 the thing that. Is kind of sad about the whole situation was. 128 00:13:54,33 --> 00:14:00,44 He was able to get to that point after you know all the the mistreatment in that 129 00:14:01,21 --> 00:14:07,90 and you have to kind of wonder if he'd gotten the education 130 00:14:08,33 --> 00:14:15,18 that he should have gotten and had gotten those survival skills of 131 00:14:16,04 --> 00:14:16,96 being able to make 132 00:14:16,97 --> 00:14:23,79 a phone call being able to make change and that how much farther. He 133 00:14:23,80 --> 00:14:30,07 might of might have been able to go but on the other hand 134 00:14:31,11 --> 00:14:37,33 you look at all the people. Who were in 135 00:14:37,34 --> 00:14:41,61 institutions then but didn't help 136 00:14:42,24 --> 00:14:48,76 a Bevan Barrymore only be friendly and and kind. See 137 00:14:49,90 --> 00:14:55,67 that glimmer in there and give them the opportunity to do things you know. 138 00:14:57,20 --> 00:15:02,11 Be involved with their family be involved with their children all of the things 139 00:15:02,12 --> 00:15:09,01 that if thousands and thousands of other people had 140 00:15:09,02 --> 00:15:15,48 been afforded that opportunity would have been able to to been 141 00:15:15,49 --> 00:15:22,46 successful with the Libyan Geico give go of the pay when done and 142 00:15:23,01 --> 00:15:27,96 would then anyway. For the real you 143 00:15:29,83 --> 00:15:34,66 yeah and. You know there were so many people last year 144 00:15:36,27 --> 00:15:43,16 from now back when Bill was alive in Iowa 145 00:15:43,17 --> 00:15:49,73 City who came back to tell stories about it yet you know and 146 00:15:50,15 --> 00:15:56,62 that he genuinely. Touched the lives of so many 147 00:15:57,67 --> 00:16:04,41 people and I was sitting and lured the day doing what for no 148 00:16:04,42 --> 00:16:11,39 one the. Longer the. Yeah well I mean so many people are 149 00:16:11,62 --> 00:16:17,99 are like that but yeah the fact that. He just did 150 00:16:18,95 --> 00:16:25,54 was able to do what he wanted to do now and then all the little side stories of you 151 00:16:25,55 --> 00:16:32,10 know Bill discovered religion being Jewish studies 152 00:16:32,39 --> 00:16:39,13 studying for his Bar Mitzvah and had his bar mitzvah which I guess typically it 153 00:16:39,34 --> 00:16:41,22 occurs is that 154 00:16:41,92 --> 00:16:46,46 a teenager years and years decades later in 155 00:16:46,47 --> 00:16:53,31 a little own doing when you line. One that 156 00:16:53,45 --> 00:17:00,22 really. You. Yeah he he 157 00:17:00,23 --> 00:17:07,10 did manage to come across an awful lot of people with very big hearts 158 00:17:07,11 --> 00:17:13,93 too but. And I guess as well as studying 159 00:17:14,11 --> 00:17:21,05 his provider mitzvah he was kind of an equal opportunity worshipper and I 160 00:17:21,06 --> 00:17:27,60 guess if the spirit struck him he'd go to most any church and which is fine 161 00:17:29,44 --> 00:17:35,14 but you know that that was so important and it's just. 162 00:17:36,59 --> 00:17:43,33 Having gotten more people out would have been able to happen 163 00:17:44,16 --> 00:17:51,05 how many more stories that that maybe you know 164 00:17:51,06 --> 00:17:56,19 not everybody would have heard about you know clearly we heard about Bill because 165 00:17:56,94 --> 00:17:58,86 there was a screenplay written and 166 00:17:58,87 --> 00:18:05,76 a movie done. But if the movie hadn't happened I think Bill 167 00:18:05,77 --> 00:18:11,31 probably still would have made an impact and I owe you know. 168 00:18:13,92 --> 00:18:19,70 So if there had been thousands of other people out in communities who had been 169 00:18:19,71 --> 00:18:25,89 given the opportunity to do that. What kind of an impact might they have been able 170 00:18:25,90 --> 00:18:32,46 to make and because it would have been people in their own 171 00:18:32,47 --> 00:18:39,46 community who were seeing them and and watching them do this instead of 172 00:18:40,34 --> 00:18:41,20 people watching 173 00:18:41,21 --> 00:18:48,44 a movie and you know honestly wondering how much of it was true and 174 00:18:48,45 --> 00:18:55,35 doing the all but thing but you know it's just how much 175 00:18:55,36 --> 00:19:01,30 farther we could have been. Who knows maybe the eighty eight wouldn't have been 176 00:19:01,31 --> 00:19:08,25 necessary Yeah if there had been more then I wasn't of people out there more 177 00:19:08,26 --> 00:19:15,06 on the sea that awareness because we've talked before about the fact even 178 00:19:15,07 --> 00:19:18,78 when when we were growing up you didn't see 179 00:19:19,78 --> 00:19:24,68 a whole lot of folks with this buildings out public who didn't see people with 180 00:19:24,69 --> 00:19:31,55 disabilities and actually activities. Are going 181 00:19:31,56 --> 00:19:38,47 to get. It you might see one or two but you know aspires being it at sporting 182 00:19:38,48 --> 00:19:44,83 events or movies or plays or things like that. You just didn't see 183 00:19:46,12 --> 00:19:52,92 people out and about and that was you know part of the mystique. With 184 00:19:52,93 --> 00:19:58,39 a company where they live where they stay and that was that was back when they had 185 00:19:58,40 --> 00:20:04,61 separate schools yet you know your interaction was low that was pretty limited 186 00:20:06,11 --> 00:20:12,43 where no good knowing when that. When they they 187 00:20:12,44 --> 00:20:18,19 didn't they will turn you away we go No it didn't 188 00:20:19,04 --> 00:20:24,91 do. The amp. Then so anyway 189 00:20:27,95 --> 00:20:30,95 Saturdays. We're having 190 00:20:30,96 --> 00:20:37,73 a party Bill Yeah and it will last all day starting at ten o'clock 191 00:20:39,18 --> 00:20:41,71 with a different band and 192 00:20:41,71 --> 00:20:48,28 a different cake and every hour. And we hope that folks will have 193 00:20:48,29 --> 00:20:52,81 seen the published report and will join this. 194 00:20:56,34 --> 00:21:02,81 And that there continue to joins as we said. While Bill's coffee shop still 195 00:21:02,82 --> 00:21:09,79 exists in North Hall what's now 196 00:21:09,80 --> 00:21:15,60 Bill's. Coffee Shop and community center has had 197 00:21:16,47 --> 00:21:23,06 a couple transitions and locations of many years believe it was formerly known 198 00:21:23,15 --> 00:21:30,05 as one Wild Bill Small and then when 199 00:21:30,06 --> 00:21:35,91 they moved here I really became known as Uptown Bill. 200 00:21:37,36 --> 00:21:43,90 So and you know uptown bill is a coffee shop it's 201 00:21:43,91 --> 00:21:45,83 a bookstore it's 202 00:21:46,35 --> 00:21:52,98 a community meeting center where all kinds of different groups 203 00:21:52,99 --> 00:21:59,63 meet it's an entertainment venue we have activities pretty much every night of the 204 00:21:59,64 --> 00:22:03,74 week have live music a few nights 205 00:22:03,75 --> 00:22:08,72 a week but I think most importantly. 206 00:22:10,98 --> 00:22:16,93 And one of the things that really pulled me toward it once I started coming over 207 00:22:17,89 --> 00:22:20,100 was. It's really 208 00:22:22,23 --> 00:22:28,14 a very safe and welcoming environment you know people. 209 00:22:30,32 --> 00:22:36,91 Aren't afraid to talk to people and then in fact in all likelihood you won't make 210 00:22:36,92 --> 00:22:42,22 it all the way from the print door back to the to the coffee bar without somebody. 211 00:22:43,27 --> 00:22:49,99 Having spoken to you. We have the. Incredible age 212 00:22:49,100 --> 00:22:56,87 group we have lots of folks 213 00:22:56,88 --> 00:23:03,45 with and without this bill these who come. And I say we 214 00:23:03,46 --> 00:23:09,87 because there's the extended Dream Foundation 215 00:23:10,47 --> 00:23:17,29 which is kind of the umbrella for the Uptown bills and the been 216 00:23:17,30 --> 00:23:24,07 to shop. And I'm president of that board of directors. So 217 00:23:25,47 --> 00:23:30,21 the we is very much there and 218 00:23:30,57 --> 00:23:36,57 a very good way. To moon No I did you argue. 219 00:23:37,72 --> 00:23:43,85 By. The way when. They mention we're book stored. 220 00:23:46,04 --> 00:23:52,70 It is then when we have lots and lots of college students. Who 221 00:23:52,71 --> 00:23:54,03 volunteer with 222 00:23:54,68 --> 00:24:00,54 a lot and most of them from the social work and psychology areas but 223 00:24:02,48 --> 00:24:08,94 a lot of them who come in watts of other folks who come in and have 224 00:24:08,95 --> 00:24:13,53 a cup of coffee chat come to some of the Saturday evening programs. 225 00:24:16,01 --> 00:24:22,29 And we would certainly love to have everybody come join us sometime we have an 226 00:24:22,30 --> 00:24:24,59 incredible variety of teas if you're 227 00:24:24,60 --> 00:24:31,28 a tea fan and we have an incredible variety of soda. So if you've been 228 00:24:31,29 --> 00:24:37,83 wondering where to get that bottle of peanut butter so with her bacon soda or 229 00:24:38,67 --> 00:24:45,62 cucumber white or lots of kinds of ginger ale and root 230 00:24:45,63 --> 00:24:52,22 beer we're the place to come in your view of all we have the 231 00:24:52,23 --> 00:24:58,24 real the I. Love. You name would know. 232 00:24:59,69 --> 00:25:06,65 The. I knew there. To know. And you 233 00:25:06,66 --> 00:25:13,59 can find this seven thirty south to be exterior of the building just above P. 234 00:25:13,60 --> 00:25:14,93 Eighty T.V. 235 00:25:14,94 --> 00:25:16,78 Channel eighteen kind 236 00:25:16,79 --> 00:25:23,69 a kitty corner from the County Health and Human Services Building Langley 237 00:25:23,95 --> 00:25:29,34 is the camp were open Monday through Saturday. 238 00:25:32,48 --> 00:25:38,94 Anyway you do I know probably who isn't in 239 00:25:38,95 --> 00:25:44,07 one pile. And we are 240 00:25:44,08 --> 00:25:50,98 a nonprofit agency So if you're looking for someplace to 241 00:25:52,27 --> 00:25:58,90 spend part of that Pax refund. We certainly hope you'll consider us anyway there. 242 00:26:00,29 --> 00:26:06,73 Are Web sites uptown Bills dot org Or we can reach be reached by phone at 243 00:26:07,15 --> 00:26:12,18 three one nine three three nine zero eight zero four 244 00:26:17,45 --> 00:26:24,38 and that's about it for this evening I hope you all are starting to over 245 00:26:24,45 --> 00:26:31,12 enjoy the actual nice spring weather that appears to be here hopefully the state 246 00:26:31,31 --> 00:26:34,78 and we'll we all hope you get 247 00:26:34,79 --> 00:26:41,43 a little new condo. And will bring them 248 00:26:42,25 --> 00:26:46,07 with glowing in knowing against whom you. 249 00:26:49,19 --> 00:26:52,56 Take Carol I'm a good a we.